ALEX TREBEK - The Answer Is...(Reflections on My Life)

 

ALEX TREBEK : The Answer Is…

(Reflections on my Life)

By Alex Trebek

Simon & Schuster

287 pgs

I rarely read biographies. The thing is both my wife Valerie and I have been fans of the game show  Jeopardy for so long and in that time we came to admire the show’s host, Alex Trebek. When we, like the rest of the millions of his viewers, learned he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, it was really sad news. It was this same cancer that had taken my own father at the young age of fifty-nine. On the other hand, Trebek was approaching eighty years old, and once he had made the news public, he seemed to find an acceptance that appeared both spiritual and graceful on air.

Thus it was no surprise when the news of his memoir books arrived and quickly topped the bestseller lists. Enough so that Valerie picked up a copy and read it immediately. I’d wait a bit longer, what with all my own writing commitments and list of To-Read books stacked high in my office. Then, before I could pick it up, the news arrived that he had passed. I believe an entire nation mourned his loss. As for Jeopardy there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that it would continue, if for nothing else, then to be Trebek’s legacy. Guest hosts were brought on; some good, some so-so etc. etc. Both Val and I hope that eventually, the producers will find a permanent new host and honoring Trebek, find a newcomer and give him or her their big break.

For that’s what happened to this likeable fellow from Canada who grew up to be a radio announcer than ultimately took those skills to the burgeoning new field of television. First becoming a host in Canada until eventually being invited to Los Angeles and ultimately becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the world. All of this is related in Trebek’s book and he narrated it so informally, so openly and honestly. While reading it, I found myself creating my own Jeopardy answer, “What is both famous and genuinely humble at the same time?”  Answer – Alex Trebek.

At the offset, he discusses his own definition of courage, arguing that he never chose to battle cancer and shouldn’t be considered courageous because he became ill. Then you read through the stories he has shared with all of us, stories of loving, kind, hardworking people. Stories of brave souls who have overcome great challenges merely to survive, never mind triumph and at the end of the whole read I found myself disagreeing with this good man. You see, accepting one’s fate with nobility and grace takes a great deal of courage. Acceptance, a trait this likeable soul always had in abundance and even at the end of his journey, he took a moment to share that wisdom with all of us.

Thanks Alex Trebek. Rest well, you’ve earned it so beautifully.

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